Becoming a god by following the natural order and seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune.

Chapter 48 Using various pretexts to extort money from the wealthy and powerful
Chen Sheng's talk of "bandit suppression silver" was naturally difficult to persuade these shrewd merchants.

They already pay heavy taxes on a regular basis, and this robbery of their goods has caused them even greater losses. Now, instead of sending troops to suppress the bandits and recover their losses, the government is demanding extra money from them. This is simply treating them as easy targets to be taken advantage of.

Immediately, the hall was filled with discussion, and undercurrents of discontent were brewing.

They dared not openly turn against him, so they could only express their dissent openly or covertly. Many people also turned their hopeful eyes to the elders of the Gao, Huang, and Yang families, hoping that these influential figures who could truly affect the situation in Changshan County could come forward and make a decision to turn the tide.

However, the three elders clearly did not expect the government to take this action. In their haste, they dared not express their opinions and could only remain silent and wait and see.

"咚咚-"

Wu Kuang lightly tapped the table with his knuckles, the crisp sound bringing the room back to silence.

His gaze swept authoritatively over the group of merchants, and he said in a deep voice:
"What Commander Chen just said is the truth, and it is also my intention. Suppressing bandits is an important task to protect the territory and the people. However, even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice. If we cannot reach an agreement on this matter, the matter of suppressing bandits will be put on hold for a few days and discussed again."

Furthermore, rest assured, even without this money, the government... will certainly find a way to suppress the bandits.

Wu Kuang's words sounded grand and dignified, but everyone present understood his underlying meaning—without paying the silver, the bandit suppression would be delayed indefinitely.

As for how long these "several days" actually are, that depends entirely on the mood of the government.

Since Wu Kuang had personally set the tone, no one present dared to urge him any further, even if they had a lot of dissatisfaction. They could only reluctantly bow and take their leave.

After the merchants and other bystanders had left, Magistrate Lin Shou also straightened his official robes and stood up, his face solemn, and said:
"Brother Wu, the matter of suppressing the bandits concerns the peace of Changshan and the face of the imperial court. There are many things to be done, so I entrust the entire task to you."

"Brother Lin, you flatter me. This is my duty, and I will do my best. I still need the strong support of Brother Lin and all my colleagues to make this possible." Wu Kuang returned the greeting with a cupped hand, his words impeccable.

Lin Shou smiled, said no more, and turned his gaze to Chen Sheng, who was standing to the side, his tone becoming gentler:

"Commander Chen, the Yang family has already given their approval to your marriage with their eldest daughter, and I am happy to see it happen. Isn't it time to set the agenda?"

He knew that the Yang family was largely resistant to the matter, but since he, as the county magistrate, was related to the Yang family by marriage and had the intention of using this opportunity to divide and win them over and stabilize the situation, he could not allow the Yang family to hesitate too much.

Upon hearing this, Chen Sheng first bowed and expressed his gratitude:
"Thank you for your kindness, Lord Lin and the Yang family."

He then glanced at Wu Kuang, his face showing difficulty, and explained with his hands clasped: "However... with bandits rampant and military affairs pressing, it is not a good time to discuss marriage and betrothal. I humbly request that we wait until the bandit suppression is successful and the area is pacified before we discuss it."

"I find this statement reasonable."

Wu Kuang spoke up at the opportune moment, expressing his support: "Right now, suppressing the bandits should indeed be the priority."

Lin Shou's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. His gaze lingered on Wu Kuang and Chen Sheng's faces for a moment before he slowly nodded, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Very well, since that's the case, then let's do as Commander Chen says and discuss this matter again after we return victorious from this bandit suppression."

Having said that, Lin Shou left the main hall without lingering, accompanied by several trusted officials.

Only Wu Kuang and Chen Sheng remained in the hall.

Wu Kuang let out a long breath, rubbed his temples, and said in a cold tone, "Hmph, these aristocratic families really have a long reach."

The county magistrate and the registrar almost both openly and secretly supported the immediate suppression of the bandits, and with the ambiguous attitude of Magistrate Lin, the resistance was enormous.

"Your Majesty, it's clear."

Chen Sheng lowered his voice, "Moreover, I believe that Chu Yueshan... may not be reliable either."

"Oh?" Wu Kuang looked at Chen Sheng with slight surprise. "Wasn't he quite submissive just now, acting like he was completely obedient?"

"It is precisely because of the abrupt change in his attitude that he appears even more suspicious."

Chen Sheng analyzed, "This man has always been two-faced, outwardly obeying your orders but inwardly disobeying them, and more inclined to side with Magistrate Lin. But this time he stands so clearly on your side. Is it really because he understands the greater good, hates the river bandits to the bone, and can't wait to wipe them out? I think there must be something fishy about this."

Upon hearing this, Wu Kuang pondered for a moment. After Chen Sheng's reminder, he also felt that Chu Yueshan's behavior today was indeed somewhat abnormal, and he became alert: "What you said makes sense. It seems that we should be more wary of this person and not trust him completely."

Chen Sheng echoed Wu Kuang's words for a few more minutes, and then steered the conversation toward what he was really concerned about—"cultivation resources".

At his current level, the effects of ordinary Qi and Blood Pills and Tiger Bone Pills have been greatly reduced. Only some better pills can keep his cultivation speed up.

Upon hearing this, Wu Kuang looked surprised. He knew that Chen Sheng's cultivation level should be at the Bone Forging Realm, yet he asked for pills that could only be effectively used by those at the Marrow Transformation Realm, which puzzled him.

Chen Sheng had already prepared his explanation, claiming it was to win over the newly surrendered Li Huaisheng. After all, a poison master at the Marrow Transformation Realm would be of great value if resources could be used to stabilize his heart.

He did not reveal that he had already broken through to a higher level.

Firstly, his cultivation speed was truly astonishing; secondly, he did not want any news to leak out. Everything would be discussed after Chu Yueshan was killed, at which time he would be the only candidate for Grand Commander.

Only after one has made ample preparations to assume military power can one truly settle all grudges.

After a moment's hesitation, Wu Kuang finally revealed some of the truth.

Resources like Tiger Bone Pills and Blood Qi Pills are still available, but truly precious pills suitable for the Marrow Transformation Realm are strictly controlled by the higher authorities, even if he has special channels, and the quota is limited to prevent those below from enriching themselves at the expense of the public.

However, as a show of support for Chen Sheng, he still gave Chen Sheng some of his own "Yuan Sui Dan" and encouraged him to cultivate diligently and strive for a breakthrough as soon as possible.

As long as Chen Shengxiu meets the standards, he will have ample reason to apply to his superiors for more quotas.

Chen Sheng thanked him repeatedly, but he also understood that keeping it a secret would indeed hinder his acquisition of more cultivation resources and affect his progress. However, it wouldn't matter for the next few days.

……

Meanwhile, the elders of the Gao, Huang, and Yang families returned to their respective residences and immediately reported everything that had happened in the county government, especially the matter of the "bandit suppression silver," to their patriarchs.

Upon learning the news, Gao Yuanfeng, Yang Yi, Huang Dongchun, and others quickly gathered together to discuss the matter.

Huang Dongchun, unable to contain his anger, slammed his fist on the table and said:

"This is clearly a pretext to extort money. Wu Kuang and Chen Sheng are truly shameless!"

They themselves were adept at this trick, having done similar things before, and even managed to embezzle large sums of money through it.

They originally thought Wu Kuang, being from a military background, would be more straightforward, but they didn't expect him to be so adept at this tactic, and even to have his sights set on them.

"It seems that the government will not take any action unless this so-called 'bandit suppression fund' is paid out."

Yang Yi's face was gloomy. "The key is that those merchants are probably unwilling to part with this money easily."

If the merchants refuse to pay, the officers and soldiers will have a perfect excuse to delay.

But if they have to contribute money, they also have to contribute a portion. The key is that this portion cannot be returned and can only end up in the pockets of Chen Wu and others. How can they be willing to do that?

"Whether they like it or not, things have already progressed to this point, and the plan to eliminate Chen Sheng under the guise of suppressing bandits must not fail!"

Gao Yuanfeng said decisively, "The three of us will share part of this money, and the merchants will share the other part. We need to act quickly and not delay for too long, lest Wu Kuang and Chen Sheng notice something is wrong."

Now that things have come to this, they have no choice but to act.

"Offering silver is not out of the question."

Huang Dongchun snorted coldly, glancing meaningfully at Yang Yi: "I just hope that this time, there won't be any more mistakes, so as not to lose everything."

He was clearly still resentful about the theft of the Spirit Essence Gu. Although it was superficially forgiven under Gao Yuanfeng's mediation, the huge loss suffered by the Huang family could not be easily forgiven.

"Huang Dongchun, I've said it countless times: what happened last time had absolutely nothing to do with my Yang family. Perhaps the news leaked from within your own Huang family, which is why we failed at the last minute!"

Yang Yi's face darkened, and he immediately retorted.

"Alright, you two, say no more."

Gao Yuanfeng quickly interrupted, "Let bygones be bygones. The most urgent task right now is to join forces to deal with Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang. Don't let small things cause you to lose sight of the bigger picture and throw yourselves into chaos!"

Huang Dongchun and Yang Yi exchanged a glance and each snorted coldly.

(End of this chapter)